Mikael Åkerfeldt: "Anyone Can Like" Opeth

Opeth mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt was interviewed by The Globe and Mail on the eve of the band's Toronto performance, as part of their current tour with Mastodon and Ghost. In the interview, he discusses his personal listening habits, what he likes (and doesn't like) about contemporary metal, and more.

"I don’t mind speed when it comes to music, especially if it’s an important part of that type of music," says Åkerfeldt. "But it can only be so fast before it becomes ridiculous. What’s more important to me these days is the groove. That’s been lost, definitely. I got fed up with it; that’s one of the reasons we did Heritage."

He believes Opeth's stylistic shifts and progressions have broadened their audience, something he's understandably pleased about. "Ever since [our] first album, I’ve thought that there are parts of [each] album that anyone can like," he tells the paper. "There’s all ages, there’s business people, there’s the metal people, there’s the rock people; there are a lot of women coming to our shows, which we love."